Furze Hill Lodge

Updated 26 May 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors.

Service and service type

Furze Hill Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Furze Hill Lodge is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 4 people about the care they received at Furze Hill Lodge. We spoke with 7 staff which included the registered manager, deputy manager and care staff.

We reviewed the care documentation for 5 people, looked at a number of medicine administration records and checked recruitment files for 4 staff. We also looked at a range of documentation relating to the running of the service. This included audits, health and safety records, activities, training and minutes of staff meetings.

Following the inspection, we received feedback from 2 relatives regarding their loved ones’ care.

Updated 26 May 2023

About the service

Furze Hill Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 29 people. The service provides support to people who are living with dementia, or people requiring support with their physical health conditions. Everyone lives in one adapted building, set over 3 floors. There was a communal dining area, lounge and conservatory for people’s use, as well as a large level garden. At the time of our inspection there were 16 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People and their relatives told us they felt Furze Hill Lodge was safe place to live. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. Records confirmed that concerns raised were appropriately reported and investigated. Risks to people’s safety and well-being were managed well and accidents and incidents were reviewed to minimise the risk of them happening again. People were supported by sufficient staff who received the training they required to support them in their roles.

People were supported with their health care needs and staff were aware of the need to report any changes or concerns. Positive relationships had been developed with health and social care professionals. Robust medicines systems were in place which ensured people received their medicines in line with their prescriptions.

People and their relatives were involved in developing their care plans and felt their views and opinions were listened to. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Choices were provided to people wherever possible, and people’s preferences were known and respected.

Staff had developed positive relationships with people and were caring in their approach. Staff enjoyed spending time with people socially and there was a good range of personalised activities available. People were encouraged to maintain their independence and felt their dignity and privacy was respected.

A positive culture had developed in the home and people and staff felt respected and valued. There was an open and transparent approach to any concerns from the management team which was also reflected in the way staff members approached their roles. The registered manager was committed to continuous improvement of the service and quality assurance systems were used to monitor progress.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (report published 16 August 2021) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

At our last inspection we recommended that the provider explore ways for people to be fully in involved in the reviews of their care. At this inspection we found the provider had acted on our recommendations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and to follow up on the shortfalls we found at our last inspection.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.